Emergency-brake lever and lock



Dec. 9, 1930. J. RATTO EMERGENCY BRAKE LEVER AND LOCK Filed Oct. 26, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR ATTORNEY mum v WITNESSES //.Z&WM% a Dec. 9, 1930. J. RATTO 1,784,750

EMERGENCY BRAKE LEVER AND LOCK Filed Oct. 26, 1928 2 SheetsSheet 2 llmmll I. (9 9 ii :&-

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4/4? BY 7} Z ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 9, 1930 time UNITED STATES JOSEPH alarm, or BROOKLYN, NEW YORK EMERGENCY-BRAKE LEVER AND LQCK Application filed October 26, 1928 Serial No. 315,175.

, This invention relates to a lever construction and means for locking the same, the object being to provide a structure particularly adapted for locks for automobiles, whereby the lever may be easily actuated at any time and also easily locked whenever desired.

Another object of the invention is to provide aflock and also a lever for emergency brakes of automobiles, wherein the moving partsof the lever are housed and akey-operated lock is provided and arranged tolock the moving parts against actuation whenever the key lock mechanism has been caused tofunction. g

A furtherobject of the invention is to provide a locking mechanism for old types of emergency brake levers, wherein akey operated mechanism may be attached to the lever and operated at anytime to lock the lever against release. 7

Anadditional object of the invention is to provide a device which is an improvement over my Patent No. 1,487,603 issued March 18,1924. :1

vIn the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is a side view of an'emergency brake lever and a lock associated therewith, said lever and lock embodying certain features of the invention;

Figure 2 is an edge view of the structure shown in Figure 1 V Figure 3 is a sectional view through Figure 5'on the line 3 3;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional view through Figure 6 on the line4-4;

Figure 5 is a vertical sectional view through the structure shown in Figure 1, the upper parts being shown in elevation;

Figure 5a is a detail fragmentary view showing the rod in Figure 5 formedwith a weakened portion;

Figure 6 is a view of the lower parts of the structure shown in Figure 5, the same being shown in a locked or'operated position;

Figure 7 is a fragmentary sectional view through Figure 5 on the line 7'7;

' Figure 8 is a transverse sectional view through Figure 5' on the line 88; a Figure 9-is a'view similar to'Figure 8 butshowing the key operated lock mechanism moved to a locked position; I

Figure 10 is a fragmentary sectional view through the upperpart ofthe lever shown in Figure 5 illustrating the spring and rod protecting sleeve. 7 g

Referring to the accompanying drawings by numerals, 1 indicates a lever particularly adapted for emergency brakes for automobiles. This lever is pivotally mounted at 2 69 on casing 3, which casing is bolted or otherwise rigidly secured to the body of an automobile in any desired manner. An extension 4 is provided at the lower end of the lever 1, which extension is pivotally connected with the'pull rod 6 of hard steel substantially incapable of being cut. It will be noted that the pivotal pin 7 forming a connection be tween extension 4: and rod 6 is drawn into the casing 3 when the lever 1 has been moved to an operated or locked position. This will prevent anyone from pulling out pin/Z for disconnecting the parts. A rack 8 is arranged interiorly'of the casingi3 and coacting with thisrack is a catch 9 slida bly mounted in the slotlO of lever 1. The catch 9 is preferably an integral extension of the slidingblock 11, which block is provided with an extending abutment 12 adapted to receive the locking bolt 13 of the key-operated mechanism 14. Key 15 when turned in one po-" sition will move the bolt 13 to a locked position, as shown in Figures 6 and 9, and when turned to a second position will move the I bolt 13 to an unlocked position, as shown in Figures 5 and 8. A rod 16 is screwed into 'orotherwise' secured to the block 11, said rod extending upwardly to a point normally above leverv 1, as shown in Figure 5. Lever 1 at the upper end is provided with a bore 9 17 (Figure 10) accommodating the spring 18 and also the sleeve 19 which is rotatably mountedthereon. This sleeveis cut away .at 20 for receiving the enlarged head 21 of the rod 16, whereby access to the end of the rod cannot be secured and the sleeve 19 cannot be accidently lost or removed by anyone. When the catch 9 is to be released the operator forces the sleeve 19 and rod 16 clownwardly, but as soon as pressure is relieved ure 5a.

spring 18 will return the parts to their former position. When the parts are locked, as shown in Figure. 6, rod 16 cannot 'be depressed, and in order to prevent an one from striking the end 21 with a hammer to attempt to force the parts downwardly, rod 16 substantially centrally thereof is pro ide d with a weakened portion 22,as shown'in Fig- If a hammer is used in an attempt to drive the rod 16 downwardly, said rod will bend at the weakened;.portion 22,.,and consequently, the locking bolt 13 and other parts will not be injured." This is usually 'an' unnecessary precaution, as the'construction ofthe lock is such that'it can resist'substan- ,tiall i an blow of a hammer. ,It willialso ithstand any pressure which maybe brought thereon. In forming the lever 1 the same is provided with an enlargement 23 which covers the upper part of the block 11 and most of the lock-14. The lever 1 is also provided-with an extension24 having a depending portion 2 These latter parts are intended to'cover the casing 8 when the lever 1 and associated parts have been moved to the positionshownin Figure 6. This will prevent anyone from inserting an instrument into the casing 3 for the purpose of disloc ging catch 9 or breaking any parts. hen mounting the device on an automobile it may be secured in place in slightly dififerent ways according to the particular make of the automobile. Usually the flanges 45 and 4L6 are rivetedorotlierwise rigidly secured to certain longitudinal bars especially provided and these longitudinal bars are secured in any desired'manner to transverse bars secured to the chassis or other part of the automobile. In this way the emergency lever maybelocked at any desired point and held in position against removal or successful I tampering.

In operation the parts are normally in the position shown in Figures 1 and 5. hen it is desired to apply the emergencybrake lever 1 is grasped andpulled until it assumes the position shown in Figure 6. If the-driver is not going to leave the carbut wishesto proceed he may immediately press downwardly on the rodagainst the action of spring 18 and easilyrelease the catch 9 so that the lever 1 may be swung back toits first position and'the brake released. If the driver should desire to leave the car he will leave the lever in the position shown in Figure 6 and will turn the key 15 so thatlockle will cause the bolt 13 to move to locked position, as shown in Figures 6 and 9. Key 15-is then removed andthe emergency'brake is locked against release. lVhen the driver returns he uses key 15 to turn the bolt lilback to the position shown in Figure 5. The lever then igency brak'e lever. and lock set forth has been designed for motor vehicles which are to be constructed or wh'ich are in the course of construction, but may be, if desired, installed on everytype of motor vehicle now in use. When this is done they old emergency-brake lover is removed andthe newbrake lever and associated parts are substituted, and after the substitution has taken place the new lever functions in the manner set forth. This functioning includes the proper action of the parts at.all times to maintain the lever always in condition for use. The key 15-is capable of being removed when the partsare ina lockedor unlocked position. This will preventsanyone, as for instance, children,

from rotating the keyandcausing an inadvertent locking of theparts. .Suchanaction would naturally be objectionable, asit would prevent the-driver from applyingthe-brake in a case of emergency. Also, the Iactthat the key mayberemovedresults in preventing the lock, from f function ing by reason of the vibrationofthe car .whilerunnin .It .will be understood that the structureshown in Figure 1 is designed to prevent -both,,accidentsand thett butisespecially. adapted .to prevent children from releasing the emerr gency brake when a driver'is absent from the automobile. Quite often trucksrand other automobiles areleft on an incline,.with-;the emergency brake properly applied. "Many times 'childreninl their play have released the emergency brake and causedaccidents by reason of the drifting ofthe automobile down the incline. Byprovidingxmeansior locking theemergencybrake ina-lockedi osition no one can release the brakeuintil. ey 15 hasbeenutilized to unlockthe brakelever. l/Vhat I claim ist l. emergencybrakelever andlock,-.including a swinging levena rack, a housing for said rack, means carried bytheleverffo'r closing theopening in thehousing, a catch carried by the lever, manually-actuated means for moving the catch to disengaged position, and key-operated means'for'locking the catch against actuation.

2. An emergency brake lever and lock, including a lever member, a catch slidably mounted on the lever member a rack coacting with said catch, a casingenclosingsaid rack, saidscasinghaving a slot through which said lever pro]ects, means carriediby the lever for locking ,the catchin a ilockedgl osicasing having an extension positioned to close said slot when said lever has been moved to an operated position.

An emergency brake lever and lock, in-' eluding a lever member, a sliding block carriecl by said lever member adapted to slide longitudinally of said lever, a'spring formoving the block in one direction, handoperated means for moving the-block in the opposite direction, a catch carried by said block, a fixed rack coacting with said catch,

and a key-operated lock positioned to lock the block against movement in one direction whereby said lever member cannot function. Signed at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, this 23rd day of October, A. D. 1928.

JOSEPH RATTO. 

